Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-25
ng Democracy, sulk like Achilles in

| NlfIfONiflE NGEliifh ifNeADNibAF ~ 49,
NIT all individual option and intclli-
gcnce and all the popular right OF self.
government TO the Nhim, caprice, and
vanity Of one person, two persons, or
three persons who may arroglte TO
| themselves the arbitration and dlrec-
ton Of Ropublicanism IN Virginia.
THE MozAET-HALL CONVENTION.
II may here be said that the State
| Committee had 10 power to alter the
organization adopted by a convention.
] say no convention ever knowingly
adopted such plan 'of organization.
| and say that while 30 committee has
a right to usurp popular powers and
! popul2rrights, that every committee has
! the night 10 sever such chains AMI set
the people free. This was not done,
and SO persisted the last hope Of unani-
nous outpouring Of the Republican
people TO the polls. There would have
| been no one 10 resent such action eX-
ccpt the few who had selfish purposes
to subscryn. II the committee had re-
| affirmed tbc Republican platform OF
| 1855 and then flung Tie flag TO the wind,
invoking the spirit OF 1879 and inviting
the Republican masses everywhere
through the Commonwealth to gather
in their respective balliwicks at their
own time aud in their own way to send
delegates 10 such n convention as was
| held at Mozart Hall in 1879, then, nc
| CoTding 10 their own viii, to organize
| the party, prepare It's platform, and
! choose its leaders then we should have
| lad n solid column against Democracy
and "a spirit throughout the column
which in victory or defeat would have
been that Of harmony and enthusiasm.
| As it is, if the old methods are to be
| pursued; if loyalty to an individual is
to be made the test of Republicanism
If the machinery Of the party is to
override It's membership and the peo-
pie are to have no part, except to regis
ter the edicts Of the Executive Com
mittoc. the fate which overlook MS in
1888, 1884, and 1855 land would have
overwhelmed us in 1856 but that the
people took the matter into their own
hands, will be the inevitable end.
THE IEPUrHCAN WATERLOO.
do not know what can now be done
60 avert that calamity. The response
hility for il, il it come. must rest on
those who thus bring the issue to
point SO narrow that there seems room
ior but one man and bis personal adhe-
rents to stand on. ] read this address,
with its piattudes about matters OF
which one half of the people know
nothing and the other half care nothing.
and compare il with the ringing call
sent forth from Richmond and signed
! 10y patriotic men from every corner of
lie State III 1919. 1 look for those
mcn-whcre ore they? Josiled from
tla path OF service by a persistent re-
lusql to consult their rights or the giIl
OF their constituents.
The path Of Rcpublicanism in this
State from 1879 until now is strcwn
with the corpses, not OF It's opponents,
Int Of those WHO were its olr.iest
pioneers aud most doughty champions.
Tie brilliant staff and the devoted
army have been forced, by one mis-
| guided purpose, TO lay their bones in
tie Egypt, Spain, and Russia OF rash
political enterprises The MOreau5 have
been sacrificCd-thoy were too naarthe
throne. The Louchets and McDOnalds
have been sent into exile. The Murats
and st. Cyrs have been driven into OPP
| TositiOn-thcy were too much talked
Of; and tine army itself, what is left of
il, has become mere instrument to be
hurled, hitler or thither, regardless of
loss, regardless Of all higher aims than
the will and the objects OF those con-
trolling forces which will not be salts
fed until they have reached their
Waterloo.
a FALSE ISSUE RAISED.
| At this juncture Of affairs, it seems
TO me, no Republican should justify
his own supinencss by that of others
or submit to wrong because the task OF
rightng il seems difficult. There is
room yet to redeem everything If IN
appeal be made to the people a false
issue has been raised, and we have
been carried 10y excess Of authority to
| the very ground on which the Demo-
Gratis would chose to fight this battle.
Let tic senatorship be sent to the rear
for the present. Let the people,
If the night to control their own af-
fairs be denied them. take it.
Who can hinder them The issue Is
not ROW who shall be senator, bat
whether The Republicans shall obtain
a majority in the Legislature, and SO
be able, among other and more i'm
poItant things, to elect Republican
senator. But the greatest issue Of all
is whether the people constituting this
party shall be permitted to direct its
policy. A high authority has said it
would not 90 for the people to have
control OF the organization. If that
be so, the sooner it shall be admitted
the better, for party which is not fit
10 govern itself would be very unfit to
govern the state or even to select n
United States senator.
REPUBLICAN DIsATFECTION.
"Tlaye you any reason to believe,
Governor, that TIE views you have ex-
pressed are shared by any considerable
number Of leading Republicans and of
the rank and file OF the party?" asked
the reporter.
Il have the best evidence replied
Governor Cameron, (Which can exist
OF that fact in tine voluntary approach
TO Inc every day i'll person and by
letter, from every portion OF the State,
expressing the substance of what has
been said and urgently asking
what can be done to avert
the danger. | do not know,
Of course. to what extent these gentle
men represent u majority OF the party,
hut / do know that they speak for an
element which in the past has been and
which now is indispensable to the sue
cess Of the party. Their names might
be stated, bat it seems better to let
each speak for himself or to await what
is possible. a statement IN which We
shall all join.
A REPU DLICAS DEFEAT PREDICTED.
Do YOU think this element will take
any active steps in the direction indi-
Gated
Yes. know every legitimate effort
will be made to impress its influence on
the primary meetings. 1t would have
been far preferable that State conven-
ton should have been held, for then
all matters of difference might have
bcen fully discussed and every chance